FARMING FAMILY PROUD – TURNER FAMILY, NSW

MEET the Turner Family from Goodwood Station, located near White Cliffs, NSW. Zane and Louise represent the 4th generation of Turners to work with livestock in the region, and say that owning a pastoral business is a “life path” that they hope their children too will follow.

Since moving to Goodwood Station in 2008, the Turners have shifted focus from Merino sheep to Dohnes, and a few good seasons has allowed them to see the benefits of a bigger carcass and finer wool.

HOW DID THE TURNERS GET INTO THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY?

“Great Grandpa Turner worked at a station called Tarella, which was owned by Elders, and then purchased Glenhope in the early 1920s. His son, Jim, chose Goodwood in 1951 as his Soldier Settler block and the Turners have been farming sheep and wool independently since this time.”

HOW DO THE KIDS GET INVOLVED?

At Goodwood Station, it’s all hands on deck! Zane and Louise’s young children are developing confidence on their motorbikes and now help muster the house paddock “and beyond”.

“Everyone gets involved with everything,” Louise says.

“From lamb marking, crutching and shearing to yard work, house work and painting.”

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT LIFE ON THE STATION?

While the Turners acknowledge that working in the pastoral industry is not a 9 – 5 job with a definite source of income, they love being brave enough to assert control and take risks.

“What we sow is what we reap in that our hard work pays off.”

“Having a say in what we do and how we do it puts a smile on all our faces—especially when we can get some rain as well!”